NickNack 0 Posted March 13, 2008 Just read newbie's post ( lovesmybirds ) where he found a cute little hungry blue budgie on his car. He was lucky to catch her & offer her food & shelter & safety. I also notice he is in Australia. So ..... here's where I am confused. I was under the impression that budgies were wild & lived all over parts of Australia. How can you tell a WILD budgie from a budgie that is raised by a breeder ? Is it the eyes ? I know pigeons that are wild & free all have red eyes from their diet. But my pigeons I raised & had in my coop & all had dark eyes & they never turned red. So ... what is it ? How do you know you have a wild budgie or a bred-(breaded ?) (Laughing out loud) Budgie ... other then the leg band. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
**Liv** 0 Posted March 13, 2008 The wild budgie is the normal green type Any other colours would not servivie in the wild. Here is a good site Click here Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Elly 0 Posted March 13, 2008 I don't think a wild one would be as easy to catch either, they are also much smaller. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ikon 0 Posted March 13, 2008 Liv is correct, they are much smaller than even the pet variety. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
**Liv** 0 Posted March 13, 2008 Liv is correct, they are much smaller than even the pet variety. hehehe i think you mean Elly Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
**KAZ** 0 Posted March 13, 2008 A wild budgie in Australia isnt living in the suburbs, is green. very small, and very fast....no way would you catch one on the bonnet of a car in the suburbs Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NickNack 0 Posted March 14, 2008 SERIOUSLY ? No other color could survive in the wild ? Why not ? I am trying to read your link you gave while I type this ... I am fascinated by this & yet horrified at the same time. I was told there were wild budgies all over OZ in every color of the rainbow ! Someone lied to me ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bec Sta 0 Posted March 14, 2008 I would assume it was because any other colour varities would stand out in 'the wild' making them an easier target for predators. But that's just my assumption . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
**Liv** 0 Posted March 14, 2008 (edited) BecSta is right about the colours - Think like a Hawlk for a moment... Which is more tasty and obvious?? This Verses This... I have never seen a wild budgie... we have wild cockatiels too but i haven't seen any of them either... I see cockatoos and galas all the time though. Edited March 14, 2008 by **Liv** Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NickNack 0 Posted March 14, 2008 Okay ... that would make sense. A green & yellow budgie can hide well in trees with folliage. Where a ( WY/spangled pied blue hitchikers chick pea headed warbler budgie ) would stand out & end up being budgie on a stick for some larger prey. Sad. That's prolly why you don't see that breed of budgie I mentioned above anymore. I am just very surprised at this though. I really thought you had all sorts of colored budgies just flying around your houses & making your life so sweet ! Other then the poopins all over everything. Very cool. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
**Liv** 0 Posted March 14, 2008 (edited) I am just very surprised at this though. I really thought you had all sorts of colored budgies just flying around your houses & making your life so sweet ! Other then the poopins all over everything. Very cool. We do... They are in our aviaries and in our houses hehehehhe Love the sig by the way..... MMMMmmmm it's lunch time Edited March 14, 2008 by **Liv** Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NickNack 0 Posted March 14, 2008 Love the sig by the way..... MMMMmmmm it's lunch time Someone's been playing in my controls ... sneaky little devils ! I offered to share with anyone who wishes to sample the goodies. I am making tea & coffee now. Keep yer mitts off the cake ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
**Liv** 0 Posted March 14, 2008 (edited) Love the sig by the way..... MMMMmmmm it's lunch time Someone's been playing in my controls ... sneaky little devils ! I offered to share with anyone who wishes to sample the goodies. I am making tea & coffee now. Keep yer mitts off the cake ! Did you not do that sig??? Did someone break into your controls without your knowlage and plant those delectible cakes??? Hmmmm i think we need to start an investigation... You search though your controls for clues, fingerprints and dropped crumbs. I will check the cakes for any evidence such as hairs, fibers and prints that might lead us to the culprit!!! Edited March 14, 2008 by **Liv** Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NickNack 0 Posted March 14, 2008 I think I might find your finger prints in a few bits of icing sugar there LIV ... Hmm ? I'm not pointing fingers. NOOOOOOOOOOO ... not me. Not any fingers with icing sugar on them anyway. One lump or two of sugar for your tea ? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
**KAZ** 0 Posted March 14, 2008 Did you not do that sig??? Did someone break into your controls without your knowlage and plant those delectible cakes??? Hmmmm i think we need to start an investigation... You search though your controls for clues, fingerprints and dropped crumbs. I will check the cakes for any evidence such as hairs, fibers and prints that might lead us to the culprit!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maesie 0 Posted March 14, 2008 ............... pitter patter, pitter, patter............... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
**Liv** 0 Posted March 14, 2008 Did you not do that sig??? Did someone break into your controls without your knowlage and plant those delectible cakes??? Hmmmm i think we need to start an investigation... You search though your controls for clues, fingerprints and dropped crumbs. I will check the cakes for any evidence such as hairs, fibers and prints that might lead us to the culprit!!! :hap: :hap: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bea 0 Posted March 14, 2008 I saw "bush budgies" at a bird sale last year and they are TINY!! Supposedly they are bred to be as close as possible to wild budgies. They were even tiny compared to my little Fizzy!! :(Laughing out loud): I've found two budgies in my time as a budgie owner. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Feathers 0 Posted March 14, 2008 SERIOUSLY ? No other color could survive in the wild ? Why not ? NickNack, Budgies live in huge flocks in the arid places in Australia, so there is a hot and dry environment. Mutations that come up that are very different looking, like blue, are seen as a predator to them, so they would be killed off very quickly by the flock. Budgies whose variations aren't quite so different, such as dark green, would be seen as different, but recognisable as a budgie. So, as long as food sources are plenty, they would survive. In flocks that were in an area where food was scarce, they would be killed off as they are competition for the food. Dark green budgies have also been seen, dead, in large numbers on the sides of rivers. What biologists presume happened to them is that budgies will fly in massive flocks hundreds of miles to find an area where there is a good food source. As they are flying they would dip down and scoop up water from rivers and streams. Unlike light green budgies the dark green budgies would be camouflaged by the colour of the water. So other birds, who can't see the dark budgie is there, would come down on top of the dark budgie, pushing it under the water as they did so. The dark budgies could then end up three or four budgies deep and they were drowned. (Information coutesy of Cec Gearing - South West Budgerigar Club) Feathers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Neat 0 Posted March 14, 2008 (edited) SERIOUSLY ? No other color could survive in the wild ? Why not ? I am trying to read your link you gave while I type this ... I am fascinated by this & yet horrified at the same time. I was told there were wild budgies all over OZ in every color of the rainbow ! Someone lied to me ! LMAO - No Mate even if we all opened our aviaries there still wouldn't be enough to be flying all over Oz ....( NT maybe) . Wild Budgies is like Wild Grass Parrots (green grump parrots) their colouring needs to blend in with their environment other wise they are preyed upon... TO put it bluntly ... There are No Roo's ( kangaroos ) Hoping everywhere in Oz (... SO many people from the States and Canada have asked me this question) No Rainbows of Budgies, Or Koalas in every tree .... ..... How ever there are a few why way (Laughing out loud) and wombats hahaha...... oh and the possums ... Love the little guys they steel the birds fruit HAHAHAHAHA Edited March 14, 2008 by KAZ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NickNack 0 Posted March 14, 2008 This is all amazing information about these wild budgies. So ... about the eyes. Does anyone have any idea about the eye colors ? Would they be black eyes & some with the white iris ring ? Is the eye color of the wild green budgie any different then the domesticated budgies ? Wild pigeons have red eyes when they eat garbage or street food for their diet. But their new hatched babies all start out with the black normal eyes. Once the diet starts changing to a scavenger diet ... all (plugs) or wild pigeons eyes turn red. And they are not albinos pigeons. I was wondering if wild budgies have this happen to them also. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daz 0 Posted March 14, 2008 Wild Budgies are light green with yellow and black wing markings. Eyes black with a white iris ring. The lengths is approx 4 1/2 inches from crown to tip of tail. weight is approx 20 to 25 grams. Compare that to a top show bird that is 10 1/2 inches from crown to tip of tail and weighs in from 80 to 100 grams and you can see the difference. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
**KAZ** 0 Posted March 15, 2008 A friend of mine breeds bush budgies at home so I have emailed her to ask if she has any photos we can share. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
**Liv** 0 Posted March 15, 2008 A friend of mine breeds bush budgies at home so I have emailed her to ask if she has any photos we can share. Cool I cant hardly wait to see some.... I didnt realise they are so small. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NickNack 0 Posted March 15, 2008 That would be great to see Kaz ... I can't wait to see the pics ! I didn't know they were that small ... I thought they'd all kind of be the same. Only the English or Show Budgies would be bigger. What Daz has said is that the wild budgies are almost just HALF a budgie. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites